1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates toilet fixtures, and more particularly, the invention relates to a slidably mounted, stowable, and possibly aesthetically concealable toilet arrangement.
2. Background and Objects of the Invention
The standard restroom, say in a residential setting, includes at least one sink or basin, a shower or a tub, and usually a toilet. When constructed in a small sized room, a bathroom can quickly become cluttered with the essential fixtures, leaving little room for an occupant (or occupants) to maneuver. Accordingly, the utility of recessed or retractable fixtures, which can be `tucked-away` or `stowed`, will alleviate some of the (room) congestion, and possibly aesthetically improve the appearance of a room.
When considering prior art `space saving` devices, a typical device is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,047 to Gagliano. A plurality of `foldable` wall/niche mounted fixtures are disclosed by this reference. These devices provide one with alternative solutions to using standard, common restroom fixtures, especially in a very small room. However, the desire to employ standard, or near standard fixtures, which can be used in conventional rest and bath rooms, is not satisfied by the Gagliano fixtures. Further, it may be desirable to be able to convert or alter a currently owned toilet for use with the present invention--which is not possible with devices such as those suggested by Gagliano.
When considering the prior art in general, there is currently lacking a simple and cost effective solution to implementing a stowable or retractable toilet. Objects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide new and improved stowable and deployable toilet arrangements having one or more of the following capabilities, features, characteristics, and/or advantages:
simple embodiments of a toilet assembly that may utilize a standard toilet therein; PA1 employs extendible discharge and inlet tubes coupling the toilet to a waste receiving (repository) means and a supply of pressurized water, respectively; PA1 easily constructable using many available parts; PA1 includes a friction reducing means, such as rollers that are suitably positioned around a base of the toilet, that enable a toilet or toilet assembly to be easily deployed, used, and returned to a stowed position; PA1 may include a linear actuator assembly and user accessible switch to automatically deploy and stow the toilet; and
having a simple low cost construction.
The above listed objects, advantages, and associated novel features of the present invention, as well as others, will become more clear with a careful review of the description and figures provided herein. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings and the associated description are illustrative only, and variations are certainly possible.